Training Tuesdays: Run Injury Free

Welcome to another installment of Training Tuesdays with Tips from Jeff Galloway.  If you are interested in learning more, visit his website at www.runinjuryfree.com. 

Check out his tips below in blue, and as always please let us know what you think.

Most injuries experienced by my runners are due to 1) pacing long runs too fast, 2) increasing the weekly mileage too quickly, 3)lengthening stride and 4) stretching.

The principle in staying injury free is to balance gentle stress with the right recovery periods-allowing for rebuilding. (for more information, see my book RUNNING INJURIES)

Finding the right Run Walk Run strategy from the beginning of a run has been the best way I've found to stay injury free, come back from an injury and in some cases, continue to run while the injury heals. (See my book RUN WALK RUN)

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• Are you concerned that running will damage joints, and other body parts ? I was told this regularly, from my first week of running over 50 years ago but the research shows the opposite result: Runners have healthier joints, etc. than non runners as the decades go by.
• While researching for my book RUNNING UNTIL YOU'RE 100, I reviewed dozens of studies and could not find one showing that running harms legs, feet, joints, etc.
• It may surprise you to know that many studies show that runners have fewer orthopedic issues compared with non-runners as the years go by.
• A respected and large population study out of Stanford following thousands of runners over 50 who had run for more than 20 years concluded that runners had less than 25% of orthopedic issues compared with non runners of the same age.

 

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As long as you stay below the threshold of irritation you can often continue to run while the injury heals.

Runners from Austin, Duluth, Denver, Metro Dc, NW Indiana, and Montgomery County, MD - We are coming to you! There is a Galloway Training Program starting near you in the month of March! Check the calendar for more information.

March Galloway Program Kick-offs

 

Yeti or Not? NOT!

Just a quick update on how my training is going, plus reminders on a couple of fun races I hope to see ALL my Indy friends at.

The Carmel Marathon is 46 days away, and I'm starting to question both my sanity and my preparedness.  Oddly enough, though, most of these questions come when I'm doing something else and the thoughts just pop in my head.  When I'm actually out running, I feel just fine.  I haven't been running as much as I had planned to by this point, but I'm still doing a lot of strength training and hitting the elliptical when I can't get out and run.  And every time I do run, I feel pretty great.

Foot Rx Yeti or Not

And speaking of running, I went to WNC this weekend for an early birthday celebration for Laura.  We were hoping to run the Yeti or Not? 25K trail race together, but sadly the race had to be postponed due to the weather.  I understand why they postponed it, but I'm still disappointed.  It is ironic, though, that a race named for the Abominable Snowman was snowed out.  I was looking forward to seeing how I could do on the mountain trails, and I was really looking forward to doing a fun race with Laura, Mark, and Alice.  Plus the logo is super-cute, so I wanted that shirt and socks.

Since the race was not happening, I just went for a run from our parents' house into town, running all around town looping over several different routes so I wouldn't get bored.  Once I'd been running for 90 minutes, I turned around and retraced my route backwards.  I ended up doing 14.8 miles, with the return trip taking just a little longer since I had to run back UP Smathers Hill to get back to their house.  My legs were still really sore from taking Kendra's Group Active class at Urban Athletic the day before, so I feel good about being able to run that long and tackle a few hills on tired legs. 

Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

Laura wanted a stir-fry for her birthday dinner, so Momma and Daddy cooked that up deliciously.  In lieu of a birthday cake, we had Funfetti Cake Batter Dip with various cookies (and by the spoonful).  So easy to make, and so delicious!  The picture does not do it justice.  We were disappointed Cindy didn't make it for the celebration, but we definitely had no problem eating her share of dip.

Coming up for Indy-area runners:

• Shamrock 5K Beer Run: a fun 5K with a local brewery beer sample every km, a full pint at the end, plus shirt, medal, and pint glass.  You can get all this SWAG for HALF PRICE if you register using discount code SUPPORTBONER.  And since the John H. Boner Community Center will receive $5 for every use of the code, please spread the word?  Online registration ends March 7, so you still have a few days to get in on the fun.
• Englewood's Race for Roofs 5K: one of my favorite races every year.  Proceeds go to provide rental scholarships to residents of the Near Eastside of Indianapolis.  Plus I have it on good authority there will either be homemade cookies or homemade granola bars in the SWAG bags!

Disclaimer: I am receiving a free entry to the Race for Roofs in exchange for promoting it.  All opinions, however, are totally mine.  I really do love this race!

Training & Motivation Tips from Jeff Galloway

Welcome back!  It's our second installment of Training Tuesday, with tips from Jeff Galloway.  Check out his tips below in blue, with a few comments in italics from me.  If you are interested in learning more, check out www.runinjuryfree.com, and don't miss the special offers at the end of the post.

The training journey for a marathon or half marathon raises your body's physical performance capability and your sense of what you can do in life.

I definitely found this to be true.  I have so much more confidence in all areas of my life now.    

Running helps to bring body, mind and spirit together in a unique and wonderful way.

In researching my book MENTAL TRAINING I discovered that running turns on brain circuits for a better attitude more vitality and empowerment better than other activities studied.

In researching my book RUNNING UNTIL YOU'RE 100 I found numerous studies showing that runners have healthier orthopedic units than non runners even after decades of running.

When a runner takes walk breaks early and often enough for the individual the muscles are strong to the end.  See RUN WALK RUN at www.jeffgalloway.com for recommendations by pace per mile.

The "exhaustion wall" can be avoided by running longer long runs up to or beyond race distance-using the appropriate run-walk-run strategy.

Marathoners tend to improve time by an average of more than 15 minutes when they increase their longest run from 20 miles to 26 miles.

Interesting.  Has anyone tried this?  It's not what you usually see in most training plans.  

To recover fast, run the long runs at least 2 min/mi slower than you could currently run in a marathon

The right run-walk-run strategy from the beginning of each run, gives any runner control over fatigue, injury-elimination, and recovery.

In numerous surveys, runners improved over 13 minutes when they shifted from running continuously to use of the right run-walk-run strategy. 

  As always, please let us know what you think.  We receive no compensation for participating in the Jeff Galloway Blogger Program.  We simply hope you find these tips as useful as we do.  

Looking to run a half marathon or marathon that goes beyond the ordinary?   RUN ITALY Tours offers more than others do and travel with "Coach Jeff".

March 22, 2015 - Rome Marathon 26.2, 13.1 and 5K distances
Book NOW at www.RunITALY.com!

LAST CHANCE!  2014 Virtual 13.1 Half Marathon and 5K (Inaugural) Last chance to become a "Legacy" participant!  Closes March 1, 2015.     ** Register at https://jeffgalloway131.com/registration/ **
Offer Expires: 3/1/15

Coming Up: Race for Roofs 5K 2015

I have another fun race coming up to tell you about, and if you are in Indy I really encourage you to run or walk this one with me.  It is the 5th annual Race for Roofs 5K on March 28 (click here to register), and proceeds go into a rental scholarship fund for Near Eastside residents working towards more healthy and permanent housing.

If you know me in real life, you know that affordable housing is something I am passionate about.  Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live.  So this race and the cause it supports is very important to me.  This will be my 4th year participating in it, and I always look forward to it.

Thirsty Thursday!

Want to do a fun run/walk for half price AND support a great cause at the same time?  Sign up for the Shamrock Beer 5K using coupon code SUPPORTBONER.  That gets you signed up for the event for only $35, and the John H. Boner Community Center gets $5 for every use of the code.

The untimed run/walk is March 14 at 2pm.  It starts on Georgia Street, runs by Lucas Oil Stadium and through White River State Park.  You get a 3 ounce beer every kilometer, and a pint at the end.  SWAG includes super cute shirt, medal & pint glass featuring Fun-Races' leprechaun.  Plus prizes for the best costumes!

This deal is good through March 7, when online registration ends.  Share this post & spread the word!

Don't know what the John H. Boner Community Center is?  The John H. Boner Community Center inspires neighbors and partners to improve the quality of life on the Near Eastside by providing tools for change and growth.  Our comprehensive services encourage individuals and families to recognize their own strengths and abilities as they move toward self reliance and an improved quality of life.  Go to www.jhbcc.org to find out more, or check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

Training Tuesday with Tips from Jeff Galloway

We are excited to announce that we have been selected to be a member of the Jeff Galloway Blogger
Program!  We will be bringing you exclusive content and tips from Jeff Galloway, and some special discounts too.  Look for these training tips every other Tuesday, and please let us know what you think.

Jeff Galloway is a well-known Olympian, coach and runner.  I personally started running using his Couch to 5K app with scheduled walk breaks.  Check out his tips below in blue (with some commentary in italics from me), and don't miss the coupon at the bottom.  If you are interested in hearing more from Jeff, sign up for his free newsletter at www.JeffGalloway.com. 

When paced correctly, running delivers the best attitude boost you can get. Sustain this by pacing yourself gently during the first mile or three.

A well-paced run enhances vitality for the rest of the day.  Start each run at least 30 seconds a mile slower than you will run at the end.

 Teresa: This one is hard to do when you are feeling fresh & ready to run, but if you get it right the end of the run is so much better!

If you have a Run Walk Run strategy that is right for you on that day, it's possible to feel good after every run-even the marathon.

Running is the best stress reliever I've found. Research shows that running tends to activate the conscious brain which over-rides the emotional subconscious brain and manages the negative and anxiety hormones during and after the run.

Research shows that as runners get faster, their stride length shortens.  A quicker cadence is the mechanical key to faster running.

Teresa: This goes along with the tip Mark (Laura's husband) told me: if I want to run faster I should pick my feet up a little higher.  That makes me shorten my stride.  

The finishing of a run that is longer than you've run in the last 3 weeks can bestow a sense of achievement that is unique and empowering-due to positive brain circuits that are turned on.

You can't run a long run too slowly or take too many walk breaks.  You'll get the same endurance based upon the distance covered.

Teresa: This is one of Jeff's basics that I always hold on to.  Some days due to heat, hormones, or whatever; I just don't have it in me to keep running.  But I can always take a walk break and then pick it back up.  When I did my first half marathon, I took walk breaks during my longest training run of 10 miles because it was so incredibly hot.  Race day was cool and perfect and I ran the whole thing.  It really does work!

Have any of you trained using Jeff's methods also?  We'd love to hear what you think!

 

Save up to $200	Looking to run a half marathon or marathon that goes beyond the ordinary?   RUN ITALY Tours offers more than others do and travel with "Coach Jeff". March 22, 2015 - Rome Marathon 26.2, 13.1 and 5K distances Book and save up to $200 at www.RunITALY.com
Offer Expires: 2/14/15

Disclaimer: We receive no compensation or special consideration for participating in the Jeff Galloway Blogger Program.  We are doing it because we believe the content will be as interesting and beneficial to you as it is to us.  

2 + 2 = 7; Recapping the Winter Night Trail Half Marathon

All layered up & ready to go!

Running trails is hard.  Running at night is hard.  Running trails at night?  2 + 2 = 7.  At least.  I had really been looking forward to the Winter Night Trail Half Marathon.  I've come to really enjoy winter running.  And this race is at Eagle Creek Park, which is practically in my back yard, & is the same place I ran the Summer Trail Quarter Marathon last year.  Not the same trails, though - this race starts & ends in a different part of the park.

The weather forecast was calling for temperatures around 36 & wind chill around 32 at 6pm start time, falling to 32 with wind chill around 28 by my estimated finish time of 9:30.  There was a 30% chance of some light snow starting around 8, but no accumulating snow until much later.  I debated on 3 layers + vest, or only 2 layers + vest, and in the end went with 3.  I'd much rather be hot than cold.